Greetings from Namibia!

It is always a humbling experience to get in touch with you all by means of this testimony. What a year it has been!

In the midst of the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic and its countless consequences, we are extremely grateful that God kept blessing us. We, just like all the years we have been here, have seen the Lord’s hand, and indeed, the words of King David in Psalms 124 v 1 where he says, ‘if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say’ are being fulfilled every single day.

The year has been loaded with countless blessings. Firstly, we added one little Angel to the family. My wife and I welcomed our first child, T.J (Tavonga Jason) in September. In fact he just turned one month old! Thank you all for your prayers and support. We are truly humbled.

Through your support, we managed to acquire a new bus! Yaaaaaaaay!!!!! We are now able to carry all our children to school in two trips! This, in a year where all economies took knocks, is a massive blessing.

We also now have a state-of-the-art water purification system!

Our prayer now is we move from using electricity to solar energy. This would be a huge monthly money saving adventure.

Our children have been doing very well. We are thankful that up to date, none of our children have been ill. The Lord indeed looks after His own. We had one child, Purity, adopted. It was a mixture of emotions losing her. We are however ultimately thankful that she has adapted well, and she feels loved by her new family.

Our children continue to grow. Our staff continue working hard and for all that, we remain thankful and humbled.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. God bless you!

One of my favorite quotes is by Frederick Buechener and it states, “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” For me, this place is nestled along the shores of the Zambezi River at the Children of Zion Village. It was a privilege for me to be a member of two mission teams that served at the orphanage.

Make no mistake. There is a deep hunger present in Africa. There is great need at COZV – the literal hunger for food, the hunger for safety and security to protect vulnerable children, the need for shelter, the need for clothing, the need for education, the need for medicine, and the need for transportation. I saw firsthand how important donors are to filling these needs and to the survival of this mission.

Yet, spending time with these precious children afforded me deep gladness. Although there is much sadness there – children rescued from sex trafficking, parents unable to care for their children, babies abandoned, and children who have faced unimaginable trauma, there is also great gladness. The Children of Zion Village is a place filled with immeasurable joy and an amazing feeling of peace. I could feel God’s presence there. It was in the children’s smiling faces, their limitless energy racing up and down the soccer field, their skill at climbing up and over sand dunes in the bush while on a biscuit walk, their joyful singing, their eagerness to learn about the team members and our country, and, most of all, their hugs. As a Momma, I believe that there is no greater joy than being wrapped in the arms of a sweet little child. And with over fifty children at the orphanage, there are hugs galore there!

It’s difficult to explain how much the Children of Zion Village means to me. Going there is truly life-changing. Leaving there is one of the hardest things to do. But I’m able to because I know that the children are well fed, taken care of, and truly loved. Though I may no longer be holding them in my arms, I will forever hold these sweet children in my prayers and in my heart. I may return home, but my heart remains in Namibia.